Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is the smallest protected areas amongst the other Protected Areas in Bhutan with only an area of 269 Km2. In the year 1974 PWS was established as Phibsoo Reserved Forests and finally in 1993 it got upgraded to Wildlife Sanctuary. PWS got its first conservation management plan approved in the year 2012. Subsequently in the year 2014 PWS got separated from Sarpang Forest division there after became a fully independent office.
The elevation ranges from 200 meters to 1,600 meters above mean sea level. PWS stretches its border from right flank of Punatsangchhu (Sunkosh) River in the west till Singye village in the east and with Dhanishri ridge bordering the north edge. The entire southern boundary shares Indo-Bhutan International border with Ripu-Chirang Reserved Forest. PWS covers Nichula and Singye gewog under Dagana and Sarpang dzongkhag. The PWS headquarter is located at Shariphu under Singye gewog. The sanctuary has 94 households in Nichula and 13 households in Singye Gewog.
PWS falls in the Indo-Malayan bio-geographic realm. Entire area has sub-tropical forest ecosystem which can be categories into Sub-tropical Semi Evergreen Forest, Sub-tropical Moist Deciduous Forest and Subtropical Moist Evergreen. There are approximately 1259 acres of plantations created between 1960 and 1975. PWS has one of the richest biodiversity, despite being the smallest park in the country. It is home to all the eight (8) cat species, Asiatic elephant, guar and endangered golden langur. It is the only natural habitat of spotted deer (Chital) and wild sal and agar wood forest in the country. In the recent past PWS have proven to be the potential habitat of globally endangered White-bellied heron along Phibsoo river and Longa river. It has over 300 acres of pristine subtropical rangeland, which is potential prime habitat of pygmy hog and hispid hare. There are about 637 species of flowering plants, 28 species of mammals and 132 species of birds recorded still there are chances of increasing the numbers of flora and fauna over time.
Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary head office has two section Resource Allocation and management section, species conservation and Management Section. There are two range offices viz Phibsoo range and Nichula Range , one out post.
Email and Contact address
Park Manager
Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary
Shariphu, Singye Gewog, Sarpang
Email Id: phibsoowildlifesanctuary@gmail.com
Contact Numbers:
Park Manager 00975-17151667
Range Officer Phibsoo 00975-17151663
Accountant 00971-06365142, Fax No. 063652
Camp In-charge Phibsoo 00975-17150676
